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August 21, 2011

Going to Extremes

To really understand the cycle of life in the deep sea, researchers need samples to measure chemistry and DNA. And they aren’t after just any samples; the ones with the most to offer are likely to come from the extreme, such as a submarine volcanic eruption. Assistant scientist John "Chip" Breier, Summer Student Fellow Kevin Mori and the rest of the team are developing a new sampling tool that will allow scientists to use AUVs like Sentry to find and sample geochemical and microbial “hotspots” in response to tectonic and volcanic events. Such events can induce major changes in deep sea chemistry and potentially provide a major pulse of energy to a variety of micro-organisms. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)